Blog Archives

Soft Bullets: June 19, 2012 Knitting Factory – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

July 19, 2012
By

soft bullets screen
[still from this video]

Soft Bullets are a very, very new band consisting of the transatlantic (NYC and London) duo of Christopher Wall (keys, vocals) and Dan Capaldi (drums, vocals). This show at the Knitting Factory represented their first-ever U.S. gig, though you wouldn’t have known it from the level of polish and originality on display. With keys and drums only, the pair manage to make complex, dynamic songs that offer hints of Britpop, jazz, and krautrock. Wall’s vocals give an undeniable nod to Thom Yorke, but the band’s overall vibe is less dark and a bit more jazz-oriented. The band has a tremendous amount of promise, and we look forward to their future efforts.

I recorded this set with Schoeps MK5 microphones and an excellent soundboard feed from the Knitting Factory team.  The sound is flawless.  Enjoy!

Stream “Posterity”
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/S9610SoftBullets2012/07 Posterity.mp3]

Stream “Untitled #1”
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/S9610SoftBullets2012/untitled 1.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE]

Soft Bullets
2012-06-19
Knitting Factory
Brooklyn, NY USA

Exclusive download hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by acidjack

Schoeps MK5 (cardiod, slightly ROC, 7.5ft, DIN)>KCY>Z-PFA>Sound Devices USBPre2 + Soundboard>>Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audition (mixdown)>Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ)>Audacity (set fades, light additional EQ, tracking, amplify and balance, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 [new1]
02 [new2]
03 [new3]
04 [new4]
05 [new5]
06 [new6]
07 Posterity
08 [new7]
09 [new8]

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Soft Bullets, like them on Facebook, buy their single in their online store, and visit their website to find their tour dates in your area.

Amen Dunes: June 17, 2012 Glasslands and June 24, 2012 Knitting Factory – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

July 13, 2012
By


[Photos by acidjack]

The Sacred Bones Records showcase was the last show I saw at the Northside Festival, and it was also one of the ones I anticipated the most. First, because I try to never miss a chance to see bands I like at Glasslands, and second, because it was a stellar lineup from beginning to end. Of the bands playing, Amen Dunes were one I had not seen before, but they won me over early with their hypnotic, dark sound that recalls Syd Barrett, the Velvet Underground, Suicide and 13th Floor Elevators, among others. Founder and frontman Damon McMahon has claimed that he gets nervous performing live, but you wouldn’t have known it during this confident, if too short, set. Of course, it’s unlikely that McMahon could see us any more clearly than we could see him given the huge clouds of man-made fog he played in. If nothing else, the fog gave the show even more of a narcotic vibe.

This set gave us a taste of some of McMahon’s best songs from his recent record, Through Donkey Jaw. McMahon’s songs, now produced by a three-man band, tend to be downtempo affairs, but they held this crowd rapt, especially on numbers like the opener to Donkey Jaw, “Baba Yaga”.  We were fortunate enough to catch a second, slightly longer Amen Dunes show on the following Sunday at the Knitting Factory when nyctaper saw Amen Dunes opened for another of our favorite bands, the Wooden Shjips (that recording [HERE]). McMahon is one of those artists whose integrity and brilliance you recognize instantly, and we both felt that way when we caught our respective sets.

I recorded the Glasslands set with a soundboard feed and Schoeps MK5 microphones; the Knitting Factory set was similarly recorded with Sennheiser MKH-8040 microphones and a soundboard feed. Both are outstanding, with excellent house mixes. The Glasslands recording favors the soundboard more, while the Knitting Factory recording favors the sound from the Sennheiser microphones.  Enjoy!

Stream “Lower Mind” from the Knitting Factory:
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/A1706AmenDunes0212/02 Lower Mind.mp3]

Stream “Baba Yaga” from Glasslands:
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/A1706AmenDunes0212/05 Baba Yaga.mp3]

Download the MP3s: [Glasslands] | [Knitting Factory]

Download the FLACs: [Glasslands] | [Knitting Factory]

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense. The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission. Please respect our request.

Amen Dunes
2012-06-24
Knitting Factory
Brooklyn, NY USA

Exclusive download hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded by nyctaper
Produced by acidjack

Sennheiser MKH-8040 + Soundboard>Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audition CS 5.5 (mixdown)>Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ)>Audacity (set fades, tracking, amplify, balance, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Diane
02 Lower Mind
03 Swim Up Behind Me
04 Bedroom Drum
05 Not A Slave
06 Baba Yaga
07 [unknown]
_____________________________
Amen Dunes
2012-06-17
Glasslands Gallery
Brooklyn, NY USA

Exclusive download hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by acidjack

Soundboard + Schoeps MK5 (cardiod, DFC, DIN, 8ft)>KCY>Z-PFA>Sound Devices USBPre2>>Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audition (mixdown, balance)>Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ, analog effects)>Audacity (set fades, tracking, amplify and balance, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Diane
02 Lower Mind
03 Swim Up Behind Me
04 Bedroom Drum
05 Baba Yaga

If you enjoyed these recordings, PLEASE SUPPORT Amen Dunes, like them on Facebook, and buy their records directly from Sacred Bones Records.

Crystal Stilts: June 17, 2012 Glasslands [Northside Festival] – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

July 11, 2012
By


[photos by acidjack]

As noted in our post back in May about the band, this site has followed Crystal Stilts from early on in their career. In my times seeing the band, I have watched them grow from at-times diffident live performers into a dialed-in act whose performances retain the ramshackle greatness of their earlier shows, but deliver a polish on their instruments and a solidity to their sound that was missing in some of those earlier shows. The band closed out the stellar Northside Festival showcase put on by Sacred Bones Records in real style, keeping Glasslands filled to capacity even though it was well after midnight on a Sunday. This set went everywhere in their catalog, from their latest LP In Love With Oblivion, to their current Radiant Door EP, and all the way back to their 2008 breakout LP Alight of Night.  They also served up a relatively rare track, “Love Is A Wave” from a 2009 7″, as well as a new number that I am calling “Delirium” for now. This set was completely different than the one we saw back in May

I recorded this set with Schoeps MK5 microphones and a soundboard feed from the Glasslands staff.  Like many of our Crystal Stilts recordings, this one is excellent. Enjoy!

Stream “Delirium [new song]”
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/C1207CrystalStilts2220/07 Delirium.mp3]

Stream “Love Is A Wave”
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/C1207CrystalStilts2220/11 Love Is A Wave.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE] | Direct Download of the FLAC files [HERE]

Follow acidjack on twitter

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense.  The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission.  Please respect our request.

 

Crystal Stilts
2012-06-17
Glasslands Gallery
Brooklyn, NY USA

Exclusive download hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by acidjack

Soundboard + Schoeps MK5 (cardiod, DFC, DIN, 8ft)>KCY>Z-PFA>Sound Devices USBPre2>>Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audition (mixdown, balance)>Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ)>Audacity (set fades, tracking, amplify and balance, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 [intro]
02 Invisible City
03 Half A Moon
04 Shattered Shine
05 Sycamore Tree
06 Blood Barons
07 “Delirium” [new]
08 [interlude]
09 Shake the Shackles
10 Still As the Night
11 Love Is A Wave
12 Prometheus At Large

If you enjoyed these recordings, PLEASE SUPPORT Crystal Stilts, visit their website and purchase In Love With Oblivion from Slumberland Records [HERE] and the Radiant Door EP from Sacred Bones Records [HERE].

Starlight Girls: June 16, 2012 Spike Hill [Northside Festival] – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

July 9, 2012
By


[Photos by acidjack]

At this Northside Festival day show meant to showcase four of the “8 Bands You Need to Hear” (as determined by the L Magazine), Starlight Girls drew a crowd. As the first act on the bill, taking the stage during what most festivalgoers probably thought of as “recovery time” could have been a challenge. But by about the middle of  “Try”, the third song in their set, the Spike Hill show room was packed. The band serves up an addictive sound that references lounge music, 60s girl groups, soul and lo-fi indie rock – a perfect antidote to a hung over afternoon. The show began on a mellow note, but quickly ramped up the energy as the crowd (and the band’s confidence) grew. By the time the band tore into “Lion In A Cage,” my favorite number of the day, they had won over all doubters. I was also a big fan of one of the earlier, more lounge-y numbers, “$9,000,000” in particular.

I recorded this set with Schoeps MK5 cardioid microphones and a soundboard feed from the Spike Hill engineer.  The sound quality is excellent. Enjoy!

Thanks to Spike Hill and Starlight Girls.

Stream “$9,000,000”
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/S6016StarlightGirls2102/05 9M.mp3]

Stream “Lion In A Cage”
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/S6016StarlightGirls2102/08 Lion In A Cage.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE] | Direct Download of the FLAC files [HERE]

Follow acidjack on twitter

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense. The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission. Please respect our request.

Starlight Girls
2012-06-16
Spike Hill
Brooklyn, NY USA

Exclusive download hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by acidjack

Schoeps MK5 (cardiod, slightly LOC, PAS)>KC5>CMC6>Sound Devices USBPre2 + Soundboard >> Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Adobe Audition CS 5.5 (mixdown)>Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ, effects)>Audacity (set fades, tracking, amplify and balance)>FLAC (level 8 )

Tracks
01 La La Lune
02 [tuning]
03 Gossip
04 Try
05 $9,000,000
06 Wasteland
07 Wallflower
08 Lion in a Cage
09 Nomad
10 Inhibitionist
11 Like a Movie
12 The Hunch

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Starlight Girls, visit their website, and download their EP FOR FREE on bandcamp.

Sam Prekop & Archer Prewitt: June 30, 2012 Mercury Lounge – FLAC/MP3/Streaming + Bonus Download of April 7, 1999 Local 506, Chapel Hill, NC

July 8, 2012
By

Sam Prekop
[still from this video]

A Sam Prekop show changed my life. I was nineteen years old, set up to record in the center of a tiny venue in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Halfway through the set, a guy came up to me who turned out to be my college newspapers music editor. Impressed that I was one of only two people from our school (not UNC) who bothered to come to see acts like this (Sam was touring behind his self-titled 1999 solo debut), he more or less offered me the job. My relationship with music, and with writing, was never the same hence.

Since then, Prekop has continued to make his own unique brand of jazz-and-lounge-inflected rock, both as a solo act and with the better-known Sea and Cake, still considered his primary gig. A recent Sea and Cake show at Bowery Ballroom confirmed the continuing vitality and appeal of that band, who have a new record coming out. But Prekop, who for years has incorporated African and Brazilian rhythms into his guitar work, has more ideas than one band can handle. So, while continuing to record with Sea and Cake, he has put out a diverse range of solo records, from his eponymous 1999 effort that was essentially Sea and Cake-style material, to his latest, Old Punch Card, which finds Prekop taking a radical, ambient turn with his sound. This show at Mercury Lounge, featuring Prekop and fellow Sea and Cake bandmate Archer Prewitt (also a great solo artist in his own right), gave fans a miniature retrospective of Prekop’s career. Kicking off with a new, untitled ambient jam reminiscent of Old Punch Card, the set then evolved into a mix of Prekop solo songs from the last twelve years, as well as Sea and Cake classics like “Do Now Fairly Well” and “The Staircase”. Prekop and Prewitt played with the easy rapport of long-time collaborators, and even without any particular stage adornments or a backing band, the pair held the attention of the packed house for the full hour.

Along with the Mercury Lounge recording, which is my usual mix of Schoeps MK41 microphones and a soundboard feed, I am offering the Sam Prekop show from North Carolina, which has not been distributed (at least by me) since the year 2000, as a bonus download.  The North Carolina recording, while made with a decent rig, is not comparable in quality to the Mercury Lounge show (in large part due to the jackasses talking in the audience), but features Sam playing with a full band, and is more focused on material from Sam Prekop.  Enjoy!

Stream “The Staircase [Sea and Cake]” from Mercury Lounge:
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/S0811SeaandCake0211/03 The Staircase.mp3]

Stream “The Company” from Mercury Lounge:
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/S0811SeaandCake0211/07 The Company.mp3]

Stream “The Shadow” from Local 506 in Chapel Hill, NC:
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/S0811SeaandCake0211/05 The Shadow.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files: [Mercury Lounge] | [Local 506]

Download the Mercury Lounge FLAC files [HERE]

Download the Local 506 FLAC files [HERE]

Follow acidjack on twitter

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense.  The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission.  Please respect our request.

Sam Prekop & Archer Prewitt
2012-06-30
Mercury Lounge
New York, NY USA

Exclusive download hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by acidjack

Soundboard + Schoeps MK41>CMC6>Aerco MP-2 >> Edirol R-44 [OCM]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audition (mixdown)>Izotope Ozone 5 (light EQ)>Audacity (set fades, mild DR compression and additional EQ, tracking, amplify and balance, downsample)>FLAC (level 8 )

Tracks
01 ambient jam
02 Something [Sam Prekop]
03 The Staircase [Sea and Cake]
04 On A Letter [Sea and Cake]
05 Between Outside [Sam Prekop]
06 [banter]
07 The Company [Sam Prekop]
08 Showrooms [Sam Prekop]
09 Don’t Bother [Sam Prekop]
10 On Such Favors [Sam Prekop]
11 Coconut [Sea and Cake]
12 Do Now Fairly Well [Sea and Cake]
__________________

Sam Prekop
1999-04-07
Local 506
Chapel Hill, NC USA

Recorded and produced by acidjack

Nakamichi CM300/cp1 (XY, DFC, 7ft)>Zefiro InBox>TCD-D8>DATM>CDRM>xAct>16bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (set fades, tracking, adjust levels)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 The Company
02 Practice Twice
03 Smaller Rivers
04 Don’t Bother
05 The Shadow
06 On Such Favors>Faces and People
07 Showrooms
08 So Shy
09 [encore break]
10 Do Now Fairly Well [Sea and Cake]
11 Parasol

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Sam Prekop, visit the Sea and Cake’s website, and purchase Sam’s records from Thrill Jockey [HERE]

Wymond Miles: June 17, 2012 Glasslands [Northside Festival] – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

July 6, 2012
By

wymond miles
[photo by Dale Eisinger – courtesy of Impose Magazine]

Fresh & Onlys guitarist Wymond Miles proved his chops as a frontman in his own right at this Glasslands show during the Northside Festival. With this particular show being showcase of some of the most promising acts from Sacred Bones Records, Miles easily put himself in that company with a performance that introduced (or re-introduced) the crowd to his solo material, including his most recent record (and second this year!), Under the Pale Moon.  A downbeat record that tackles some recent tragedies in Miles’ personal life, Miles’ delivery was anything but dour. Although he was technically the night’s resident ambassador of the San Francisco psych-rock scene, Miles’ set carried on the stripped-down immediacy of Under the Pale Moon; a rocker like “Run Like the Hunted” has no space for blissed-out psychedelia. That role was left to the tracks from Miles’ Earth Has Doors EP, “”Hidden Things Are Asking You To Find Them”, “Temples of Magick” and the set’s closer, “Earth Has Doors, Let Them Open”. Miles has obvious gifts as a frontman, both in his command of an audience and his look. With his prolific songwriting ability to go with it, it’s fair to say that Miles is in no danger of being “some dude from that other band” in the eyes of anyone.

I recorded this set with Schoeps MK5 microphones in our usual spot in the venue, plus a soundboard feed.  The results are excellent.  Enjoy!

Stream “Pale Moon”
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/W7016WymondMiles2012/03 Pale Moon.mp3]

Stream “The Thirst”
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/W7016WymondMiles2012/07 The Thirst.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE] | Direct Download of the FLAC files [HERE]

Follow acidjack on twitter

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense.  The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission.  Please respect our request.

Wymond Miles
2012-06-17
Glasslands Gallery
Brooklyn, NY USA

Exclusive download hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by acidjack

Soundboard + Schoeps MK5 (cardiod, DFC, DIN, 8ft)>KCY>Z-PFA>Sound Devices USBPre2>>Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audition (mixdown, balance)>Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ, invisible lift effect)>Audacity (set fades, tracking, amplify and balance, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Strange Desire
02 Hidden Things Are Asking You To Find Them
03 Pale Moon
04 Singing the Ending
05 Temples of Magick
06 Run Like the Hunted
07 The Thirst
08 Earth Has Doors, Let Them Open

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Wymond Miles, visit his bandcamp page, and purchase his official releases directly from Sacred Bones Records in their online store.

Ski Lodge: June 16, 2012 Spike Hill [Northside Festival] – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

July 2, 2012
By


[Photos by acidjack]

Ski Lodge are the perfect band to write about on a day when temperatures in NYC are set to hit around 100 degrees. Contrary to the name, they are a summer band, inspired by frontman Andrew Marr’s trip to a Florida beach. Chosen by the L Magazine as one of their “8 Bands You Need to Hear“, this daytime showcase at Spike Hill during the Northside Festival showcased four of such acts, with Ski Lodge the final act on the bill. It wasn’t hard to figure out where the L folks were coming from; Marr and his band make surf-inspired pop insta-classics (like “A Game”, streaming below) that are delivered with understated confidence. The sizable crowd for this day show – on another scorchingly hot day, incidentally – attested to the appeal of the band and its style. I won’t be surprised if Ski Lodge quickly finds favor with fans of acts like Surfer Blood, The Smiths, Vampire Weekend and Beach Fossils, among others. Marr is a trained classical pianist, and has a classic, crooner-style vocal that helps define the band’s laid-back aesthetic. The band currently has a four-song EP out on Dovecote Records, but expect a full-length LP sometime this year.

I recorded this set with Schoeps MK5 microphones and a stereo soundboard feed provided by the house engineer at Spike Hill. The house mix and overall room sounded excellent, and this recording is a reflection of that. Enjoy!

Thanks to Spike Hill, Ski Lodge and the Northside Festival.

Stream “A Game”
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/S6061SkiLodge2012/03 A Game.mp3]

Stream “I Would Die To Be”
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/S6061SkiLodge2012/07 I Would Die to Be.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE] | Direct Download of the FLAC files [HERE]

Follow acidjack on twitter

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense.  The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission.  Please respect our request.

Ski Lodge
2012-06-16
Spike Hill
Brooklyn, NY USA

Exclusive download hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by acidjack

Schoeps MK5 (cardiod, slightly LOC, PAS)>KC5>CMC6>Sound Devices USBPre2 + Soundboard >> Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Adobe Audition CS 5.5 (mixdown)>Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ, effects)>Audacity (set fades, tracking, amplify and balance)>FLAC (level 8 )

Tracks
01 Chandeliers
02 I Always Thought
03 A Game
04 [tuning]
05 Boy
06 You Can’t Just Stop Being Cruel
07 I Would Die To Be
08 Just To Be Like You
09 Dragging Me To Hell

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Ski Lodge, like them on facebook, and purchase their EP directly from Insound (on vinyl) or from iTunes.

The Word: June 2, 2012 Mountain Jam – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

June 30, 2012
By


[Photo from the Mountain Jam Facebook Page]

With its all-star lineup of sacred steel/modern jazz/blues musicians, you can’t help but call The Word a supergroup.  Featuring Robert Randolph (pedal steel guitar), John Medeski (keyboards), and all three members of North Mississippi Allstars – Luther Dickinson (electric guitar), Cody Dickinson (drums, washboard), and Chris Chew (bass guitar), The Word don’t generally get to tour together often (although they’ve done some festival dates this summer), but when these players share a stage, it’s an event. This year’s Mountain Jam was one such moment, as the players gave us 75 minutes of classic religiously-themed pedal steel compositions, including many from their sole album, 2001’sThe Word.  The combination of the lovingly rendered compositions served up by these hypertalented musicians against the backdrop of the Catskills could fairly be called a religious experience of its own.

I recorded this set with AKG 414 large diaphragm mics set to wide cardiod mode.  The excellent house mix for this set, coupled with some post-processing, makes this my favorite of my Mountain Jam recordings (you can also download Ben Folds Five, Gov’t Mule and Givers).

Stream “Blood On That Rock”
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/W0062Word0212/10%20Blood%20On%20That%20Rock.mp3]

Stream “I’ll Fly Away”
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/W0062Word0212/12%20I%27ll%20Fly%20Away.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE] | Download the FLAC files [HERE]
If the FLAC link is not working, Email nyctaper for the FLAC files

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense. The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission. Please respect our request.

The Word
2012-06-02
Mountain Jam
Hunter, NY USA

Exclusive download hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by acidjack

AKG C 414 B-XLS (wide cardiod, 11ft, A-B)>Edirol R-44 [OCM]>Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ, effects)>Audacity (set fades, tracking, amplify and balance, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks [Total Time 1:18:12]
01 [intro]
02 You Haven’t Done Nothin’ [Stevie Wonder]
03 Without God
04 At The Cross
05 [unknown 1]
06 I Shall Not Be Moved
07 New Word Order
08 [unknown 2]
09 Joyful Sounds>
10 Blood On That Rock
11. Waiting On My Wings>electric washboard jam*
12 I’ll Fly Away

* = w/Cody Dickinson on Electric Washboard and Luther & Robert both on Drums

Robert Randolph – pedal steel guitar
John Medeski – keys
Luther Dickinson – guitar
Cody Dickinson – keys
Pierre Wells – bass

If you enjoyed this recording, please support these musicians by supporting and visiting the websites of Robert Randolph, The North Mississippi Allstars, and Medeski, Martin & Wood.

Givers: June 2, 2012 Mountain Jam – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

June 27, 2012
By


[All photos courtesy of Dino Perrucci Photography]

We have been fans of the feel-good rock of Givers ever since we spent a balmy summer afternoon with them at the Backyard Brunch Sessions last year.  Nearly a full year later, they have seen their star continue to rise, playing large venues in NYC and elsewhere and finding favor with fans of all ages. This year’s Mountain Jam made the wise move of adding them to the roster, as Givers gave the proceedings a younger, more musically diverse flavor while still complementing the other acts on the bill. Unlike the stripped-down BBS show, this performance represented the band’s more typical stage setup, with fully electric guitars and a full drum kit for drummer/vocalist Tiffany Lamson. I was again impressed by the interplay between the smoky-voiced Lamson and the more youthful, sweet tones of Taylor Gaurisco. Unsurprisingly for a festival set, this hit all of the highlights of the band’s debut album In Light, including the hits “In My Eyes,” “Meantime” and the set closer “Up Up Up”. We also enjoyed rocking out to the band’s sequence of Talking Heads covers, when they segued from “Girlfriend Is Better” into “This Must Be the Place” and on into “Sugar On My Tongue”.

I recorded this set in the same manner as the Ben Folds Five recording, with AKG 414 microphones set to “wide cardiod” mode. After some editing, the sound is good, albeit with a few spots of PA distortion early in the set. Enjoy!

Stream “In My Eyes”
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/G1806Givers1102/04 In My Eyes.mp3]

Stream “Girlfriend Is Better [Talking Heads]”
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/G1806Givers1102/06 Girlfriend Is Better.mp3]

This recording is now available for download in FLAC or MP3 at Archive.org [HERE].

Follow acidjack on twitter

Givers
2012-06-02
Mountain Jam
Hunter, NY USA

Exclusive download hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by acidjack

AKG C 414 B-XLS (wide cardiod, 11ft, A-B)>Aerco MP-2>Edirol R-44 [OCM]>Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ, imaging)>Audacity (set fades, tracking, amplify and balance, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Saw You First
02 Meantime
03 Ripe
04 In My Eyes
05 Atlantic
06 Girlfriend Is Better >
07 This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody) [Talking Heads]>
08 Sugar On My Tongue [Talking Heads]
09 Ceiling Of Plankton [Talking Heads]
10 Up Up Up

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Givers, like them on Facebook, and purchase In Light from iTunes or your favorite retailer.

Prairie Empire: June 10, 2012 Mercury Lounge – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

June 26, 2012
By


[Photos by Dominick Mastrangelo]

When I first head singer-songwriter Brittain Ashford, I knew right away that she was something special. With a voice that is sweet, delicate and whimsical, Ashford draws you in and keeps you in her headspace, with clear, confessional lyrics that give you that proverbial window into her soul. Prairie Empire is Ashford’s first full-band project, and musically, it is a successful one.  With a full complement of talented players with a range of instruments at their disposal that includes strings, cello, violin, viola, drums, sleigh bells, dulcimer and trumpet, the sum of Prairie Empire is far greater than its parts, and Ashford’s judicious arrangements give grace and power to her songs without cluttering them.

This show at Mercury Lounge celebrated the release of the band’s debut LP on Trailer Fire Records, and found Ashford and her bandmates delivering beautifully-realized live renditions of the majority of the record. The band’s LP is one of the most well-mixed and recorded albums I have heard in some time (the vinyl pressing is of exceptionally high quality), with a dry, dynamic mix, and I was thrilled to hear how well the band brought the material across live.  Along with “Give,” the studio version of which has been streaming on the band’s website for awhile, I was particularly partial to “Under Hum” and “Where You Are”, with its plaintive, emotionally wrenching chorus. We are thrilled to have had part of presenting this show, and wish the band the best of luck on their current tour.  If you are in one of the areas of the Midwest or East Coast where the band is touring, you owe it to yourself to go and see them.

I recorded this set with Schoeps MK5 microphones from the center of the room by the board, along with a stereo soundboard feed. Other than the occasional sound of the door between the show area and the bar  opening and closing, and some very light DI distortion on a couple of songs, the recording is flawless, and an outstanding representation of the band’s live sound. Enjoy!

Special thanks to Brittain Ashford and Prairie Empire for their invitation to us to present this show and to record it.

Stream “Under Hum”
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/P6001PrairieEmpire2012/05 Under Hum.mp3]

Stream “Where You Are”
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/P6001PrairieEmpire2012/08 Where You Are.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE] | Direct Download of the FLAC files [HERE]

Follow acidjack on twitter

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense. The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission.  Please respect our request.

Prairie Empire
2012-06-10
Mercury Lounge
New York, NY USA

Exclusive download hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by acidjack

Schoeps MK5(cardiod, DFC, POS, 7.5ft)>CMC6>Sound Devices USBPre2 + Soundboard >> Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Adobe Audition CS 5.5 (mixdown)>Izotope Ozone 5 (light EQ)>Audacity (set fades, tracking, amplify and balance)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 [intro]
02 Tenfold
03 Snow
04 Winter Came
05 Under Hum
06 Give
07 [banter]
08 Where You Are
09 Pieces, Parts

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Prairie Empire, visit their website, and purchase their record from Trailer Fire Records [HERE] or on iTunes.

SUPPORT NYCTaper




Email

Email nyctaper

DISCLAIMER and LEGAL NOTICE

nyctaper.com is a live music blog that offers a new paradigm of music distribution on the web. The recordings are offered for free on this site as are the music posts, reviews and links to artist sites. All recordings are posted with artist permission or artists with an existing pro-taping policy.

All recordings and original content posted on this site are @nyctaper.com as live recordings pursuant to 17 U.S.C. Section 106, et. seq. Redistribution of nyctaper recordings without consent of nyctaper.com is strictly prohibited.

nyctaper.com hereby waives all copyright claims to any and all recordings posted on this site to THE PERFORMERS ONLY. If any artist posted on this site requests that recordings be removed, those recordings will be removed forthwith.